Wikipedia's main page notes that on this day (May 10th) in 1916, Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and five of his shipmates from the wrecked ship Endurance arrived at South Georgia Island after sailing 80 miles in a lifeboat from Elephant Island, where the remainder of the Endurance crew were marooned after the ship sank in the Antarctic ice. Subsequently, Shackleton and two of his companions made a 36 hr trip across the island's mountains and glaciers - the first - without maps or climbing aids to reach Stromness whaling station, their boat not being fit for a voyage around the island.
Launching The James Caird
Alfred Lansing's book Endurance is the classic story of this amazing adventure, and Caroline Alexander's book is a great companion volume for the photos taken on the voyage by the crew. There are also the personal memoirs of Shackleton and the ship's captain available for real Antarctic history nerds. The Shackleton saga is amazing not only for what they endured, but that they were rescued with not a single life lost. Time to break out my copies for a re-read.
"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
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"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
Lansing also wrote a book called Shackleton's Valiant Voyage in 1961, aimed at older children.
My favorite version though is the Monty Python lifeboat sketch.
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